North Dakota woman shares her story about living with undiagnosed PCOS for years

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Put simply, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal imbalance that affects a woman’s menstrual cycle and can cause ovarian cysts. Even though about one in every 10 women have this condition globally, it can be difficult to get diagnosed or receive treatment.

For Ariana Knudsen, trips to the coffee shop weren’t always so simple. Since she was 14 years old, her menstrual cycles have been irregular. Doctors told her everything was normal.

“At 14, I’m on birth control— that’s insane to me, especially now that I’m 28, and thinking back on it, I was on birth control for almost 10 years,” Knudsen said.

She said she’s tried almost all forms of birth control. At first, the new medication would help regulate her cycle, but eventually, she’d go back to having super short cycles or double periods.

She was on birth control for six years before getting an ultrasound.

Years later, while removing Knudsen’s gallbladder, surgeons discovered a massive cyst on her right ovary.

Eventually, they recommended surgery to remove the cyst. However, during her senior year of high school, things took an even deeper nose-dive. Two hours before her scheduled operation, Knudsen went to the emergency room for severe pain.

“They were going to go in and try to just remove the cyst and save the ovary if possible, but it had started from the inside out, so it had completely killed off my right ovary. So, there was no saving it,” Knudsen said.

She was 17 years old. At 28, she still feels the impacts of her condition. She’s had over 12 iron infusions— all her irregular cycles have made her anemic. Doctors even thought she might have a brain tumor because of her elevated prolactin levels. An MRI showed that wasn’t the case. Knudsen started seeing Dr. Tara Harding at Simply You Wellness, who specializes in women’s health.

“The lack of diagnosing of it, or perhaps patients were told, ‘It looks like PCOS,’ or ‘it might be PCOS,’ and they’re getting very inconsistent information,” Knudsen said.

Knudsen said other women going through similar experiences shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for themselves and to trust their instincts.

“You’re worth more than just giving up on yourself, because I was at that point, to be honest. […] Trust your body. You know yourself better than anyone else,” Knudsen said.

She said she knew when she was 17 that it would be difficult to start a family after her surgery. After getting help for her PCOS, though, she and her husband are expecting their first bundle of joy.

Dr. Harding said that along with irregular or inconsistent periods, acne, unexplained weight changes and more can all be symptoms of PCOS.

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